pooley



2 Sheets-Sheet 1,

(No Model.)

J. B. POOLEY.

DESK.

lNvE NTIJR.

furniture, and which, for example, in its ap- UNITED STATES PATENT Citrine..

.I AMES B. POOLEY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

DESK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 360,473, dated April 5, 1887.

Application filed February 11, 1857. Serial No. 227,217. (No model.)

plication to desks is called into action both by the lowering and raising of the lid or fall thereof.

rlhe nature of my invention will be more fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof,wherein I have shown my improved device in its application to a desk or secretary in a form found practically efficient, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a desk broken away to show one of the slides provided in the respective ends thereof for supporting the lid when lowered, and with the automatieally-operating device applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of a desk with the lid closed, showing my improved device for operating the slides supporting the lid when lowered, and attached, respectively, to the lid and slides, and also showing in dotted lines the extended position of one of the slides when the lid is lowered ready for immediate use. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one part of the device, showing the rectangular bar hinged to and fitting snugly into a metallic T-shaped channel suitably fitted into the desk-lid; and Fig. 4 is a similar view, partly in section, showing the inverted-T-shaped rail rigidly secured to one of the slides and traveling through the T-shaped channelbar suitably iitted to place in the frame-work of the desk at each end thereof. s

Referring to the drawings for a further description of niyinvention, A represents any or dinary well known construction of secretary or desk provided with legs a and ct, base b, and end b. The front extremities of the respective ends are preferably made so as to slant from the top of the desk, b, to the base b. Suitably hinged to the base is a lid, c, of any desired construction. In this base b, near the ends b and Ir', respectively, are provided oblong channels d, extending to the back of the desk, into which are inserted slides e, made of wood or any other suitable material, having upward-projecting extremities f, to which inverted-T-shaped rails g are rigidly secured by screws or any other suitable means.

Above the channels d, and inthe same horizontal planes with the projections f of the slides e, are fitted rigidly to the framework b of the desk A T-shaped channeled bars It, made of any suitable metal, and through which the inverted -T- shaped rails g are permitted to freely travel backward and forward by the raising and lowering of the lid c of the desk A.

The inverted-T-shaped rails g are respectively bifurcated at one of their extremities, and to their bifurcated ends are hinged, by means of rivets g', rectangular bars t', hinged to channeled bars 7c by means of pins or rivets Z. rlhe channeled bars L are respectively fitted into the lid c, so as to be iiush with the inside face of the same, and into which channeled bars fit snugly the rectangular bars z. The combined arrangement of the parts hereinbelfore fully described furnish not only additional support to the lid c, constituting the table of the desk when lowered, but, moreover, effectu all y prevent the breaking of the hinges of the lid -c when lowered, because the slides e are automatically operated therewith by the lowering and raising ofthe same, as will be fully appreciated without further description thereof.

Vhile I have described my invention with special reference to its application to desks, yet nevertheless it is obvious that there are other uses to which it may be successfully applied in otherclasses of furniture; and hence I do not wish to be understood as limitingmyself to its use in desks.

I am aware that a desk has been provided with slides having friction-rollers journaled thereto and with connecting-rods pivoted to said slides and to the leaf of the desk, and hence I disclaim such form of a desk.

Having thus described the nature and objects ef my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A device for automatically operating the slides or rests of desks, consisting of one or more rails secured to slides or rests and playing freely within channeled bars set into a desk, and with rectangular hars hinged to said rails and to other channel-hars set into thelid of a desk, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A device for automatically operating the slides of desks, consisting of two T-rails rig idly secured to slides having projecting end extremities, said rails playing freely through T- shaped channelhars set into a desk, and with rectangular bars hinged to said T-rails and to channel-hars fitted into the lid or fall of the desk, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. A desk having two slides or rests and a hinged lid, inA combination with two rails play- I5 ing freely through ehannel-bars iitting into said desk, and With rectangular bars hinged to said rails and to channel-bars set into the lid of the desk, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. 2o

ln witness whereof I have hereunto set iny hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JAMES B. POOLEY.

Vif n 3sses:

ANDREW ZANE, J r., HERMANN BORMANN. 

